


Aliens and Army Doctors Bonus Ficlet

by Commaeleons



Series: Space Octopus Blob [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bonus ficlet, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-19
Updated: 2011-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:40:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23616901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commaeleons/pseuds/Commaeleons
Summary: Sherlock's POV of Chapter 8
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Series: Space Octopus Blob [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699981
Kudos: 9





	Aliens and Army Doctors Bonus Ficlet

“Have you ever heard of a cuttlefish?”  
  
 _– Confusion – Visual memory: Dictionary ‘Cuttlefish: any of various marine cephalopod mollusks (order Sepioidea, especially genus Sepia) having eight short arms and two usually longer tentacles and differing from the related squid in having a calcified internal shell’ – Visual memory: Octopus in a tank. –_ “No.”  
  
John points at something in the tank. Look closer: Tentacles in front; light tan in color – _‘Sepia’_ – small fin-like appendage along sides; moving closer. Colours change. – _Surprise, shock_ – “Oh.” – _Visual memory: Octopus changing colours – ‘Similar’_ – Place body/tentacle/hand up against glass; shift colours to match the cuttlefish – _Excitement, fascination – Visual memory: First time seeing a dance; Emotive memory: Wonder, awe – ‘Incredible.’ –_  
  
Cuttlefish lays a tentacle against the glass over mine. Colours change; match. – _Audio memory: ‘What if it communicates through telepathy like me?’; Emotive memory: Disappointment – Emotive imagination: Communicating with a cuttlefish – Hope, wariness –_ John is smiling at me – _Love – ‘Beautiful’ – Satisfaction, serenity. –_  
  
Turn body/head/face to John. Change colours/texture/form. – _Visual memory: John smiling –_ Smile _– Happiness – Audio memory: ‘_ Frankenstein. _… Thank you. God, thank you.’ –_ “Thank you.” _– Longing –_ Touch John; Teresa is watching. Grab his hand with my body/tentacle/hand. Turn body/head/face to tank.  
  
 _– Sense from John: Faint warmth – Project: Love, warmth, Audio imagination: ‘I love you, John.’ –_ No response _– Sorrow, longing – Emotive memory: Trying to read John’s mind at the train tracks – Audio memory: ‘Did it work? Even a little bit?’ – Affirmative – ‘Soul-mate’_ – The cuttlefish swims away.  
  
Tighten grip on John – _Tactile memory: Parent (‘mother’) wrapping me up; Emotive memory: Sense from Parent: Love, protectiveness, admiration, pride_ – Turn body/head/face to John; smile. – _Tactile memory: John hugging me_ – Shift body/tentacles/arms to hug John – _Love, pride, admiration, gratitude_. – “Thank you so much. It was wonderful. You’re wonderful.”  
  
John hugs back. – _Wistfulness – Visual imagination: John wrapping me up like Parent used to – Disappointment, acceptance_ – Teresa moves and makes a sound. – _Tactile sense: John is warmer; Visual sense: John is shifting colours to red – ‘Blush’ – Visual memory: John blushing; Audio memory: ‘It’s a penis. Please don’t touch it in front of me.’ – ‘Embarrassment.’_ –  
  
“I’m glad you liked it,” John says. His body is harder than usual – _‘Tension.’_ – and he smiles like a threat. “Is there anything else you wanted to see, or should we get going?”  
  
Teresa is smiling – _Visual memory: Woman pinching the cheeks of a small child; Visual memory: woman cooing over picture of something – ‘Cute’_ – John is uncomfortable – _Visual imagination: Teresa pinching John’s cheeks – Indignation, protectiveness, possessiveness_ – “I think I’m ready to go back home.”  
  
Leave the zoo; get into the cab. John is still holding my hand – _Wariness, happiness, confusion – Visual memory: John pulling away after several seconds of contact – ‘Unusual’_ – Talk about cuttlefish and octopus. John smiles. – _Visual memory: Cuttlefish changing colours; Visual memory: Octopus twining tentacles like I can – Curiosity, happiness, love._ –  
  
Arrive home. – _Audio memory: ‘Home is where the heart is.’_ – Shift body/chest/heart – _Sense from John: Faint anxiety_ – No love – _Disappointment, worry – Audio imagination: ‘I’m sorry, Sherlock; I can’t be that for you. We’re just friends.’ – DELETE – Project: Love, love, LOVE_ – No response.

Talk about cuttlefish and octopus – _Shame, cowardice, embarrassment, humiliation – DELETE_ – Focus on cuttlefish and octopus – _Excitement, interest, curiosity_ – “John, your creatures are amazing!” – _Visual memory: Barren rocky landscape of my home planet – Envy, curiosity, incredulity – Visual memory: Pedestrians throw their trash on the ground_ –  
  
John tries to go to the stairs. “I remember watching them for hours as a child when I went to an aquarium with my friends.” – _‘Hours?’ – Intrigue, curiosity_ – Put John on the couch to watch – _Visual memory: Cuttlefish changing colours; Visual memory: Octopus changing colours; Visual memory: Hundreds of us winding and twining together to dance_ – Dance for John; colour, not form and texture. He watches and focuses on me. – _Curiosity, playfulness, amusement_ – Match colour/texture of body/tentacle to the rug; grab John’s wallet. No reaction – _Amusement, pride, happiness_ – “I was able to steal something of yours while you were distracted.”  
  
“So, what: You’re a space octopus?”  
  
– _Surprise – Visual imagination: Octopus in space – ‘Impossible’ – Visual imagination: Me, formed as an octopus – Amusement, curiosity – Visual imagination: John stares with widened eyes – ‘Surprise/Shock’ – Determination_ – Shift form/colour/texture – _Visual memory: Octopus in the tank_ – John is laughing, eyes wide – _Satisfaction – Tactile memory: Holding John in my body/tentacles/arms_ – Grab onto John and wrap around him – _Audio memory: ‘Careful, Sherlock; it’s got suckers on its tentacles.’ – Tactile memory: Octopus grabbing onto my body/tentacle with suction_ – Hollow out points against John to form a vacuum.  
  
“Cute, Sherlock.” Feel John’s heartbeat through the cloth – _‘Jumper’ – Relaxation, contentment, love, happiness, comfort_ – Drop one tentacle over John’s head – _Sense from John: Faint warmth – Project: Amusement, gratitude, love_ – No response – _Delete: Disappointment, frustration._ –  
  
John blows on the tentacle; shift colour. Repeat. – _Visual memory: Rainbow; Audio memory: ‘ROY G. BIV.’_ – John tries to move; relax body/tentacles. John’s hand on my body/head – _Sense from John: Hazy contentment – Project: Contentment, comfort_ – No response – _Resignation. –  
  
Sense from John: Uneasiness_ – “You should probably let me go, now.” – _Confusion, hurt, longing, rejection – ‘Why?’ – Negative_ – Hold John with tentacles; carry him to his room. _Sense from John: Faint alarm – Project: Comfort, love, reassurance_ – No response – _Visual memory: John winking_ – Shift form to wink; John laughs – _Sense from John: Faint amusement – Project: Amusement_ – No response – _Visual memory: John eating several hours ago – Project: ‘Hunger?’_ – No response. Place John on his bed. – _Audio memory: ‘Humans need to eat every few hours, Sherlock.’_ – Hold John with two tentacles; move body/tentacles downstairs to kitchen.  
  
John pushes against one tentacle. “Sherlock, seriously, what are you doing?” – _Protectiveness_ – Gather ingredients for soup in the kitchen; quiet so that John doesn’t hear – _‘Surprise’_ – Bring soup back up when it’s finished. Help John sit – _Visual memory: John sitting up from a prone position to eat his food_ – Form body/tentacle into a surface for the food. “You made me dinner.” John blinks. “Um. Thanks.”  
  
– _Happiness, satisfaction – ‘You’re welcome.’ – Visual memory: Mycroft waving his body/tentacles when he was chosen for the peace mission_ – Wave tentacles – _Visual memory: Dancing with my species – Curiosity, nervousness, love, embarrassment, gratitude – Visual memory: John pointing out the cuttlefish – Determination_ – Dance for John properly.  
  
– _Sense from John: Faint awe – Project: Satisfaction_ – No response – _Delete: Disappointment – Dance: Love, happiness, gratitude, wonder, amazement, life – Audio imagination: ‘You’re beautiful. I could watch you forever.’_ – John is smiling.  
  
Shift form/colour/texture to human. “That was amazing! Where did you learn it?” John asks.

– _Visual memory: Dancing with Mycroft, Parents, community; Emotive memory: Sense from others: Love, joy, happiness, beauty, life, fascination, connection – Emotive imagination: Sharing my planet with John – Pity, disappointment, resignation_ – Explain my dance and story-telling. Dance slowly so John can see the intricacy – _Visual memory: Looking into John’s eyes from millimetres in front of him; Tactile memory: Forming a model of John in my body/tentacle/palm; Audio memory: ‘You’re so blind that you really can’t see it.’_ –  
  
Shift form/colour/texture to human hand; smile. John yawns – _Visual memory: John yawns as he lays down for sleep_ – “I’m done in for the night, I think.” – _Disappointment, acceptance, comfort_ – Stand up and wish him good night – _John: Small, fragile, weak – Worry – Visual imagination: John dead like the marine biologist – DELETE_ – Express worries about Moriarty’s range of influence. Shift body/tentacle to wrap around John’s wrist and walk out the door with the rest.  
  
– _Sense from John: Faint warmth_ – John brushes a fingertip down my body/tentacle – _Love, worry, protectiveness – Project: Love, comfort_ – John closes his eyes and settles into the bed for sleep.


End file.
